BOSTON — For a second consecutive season, UConn men’s basketball has advanced to the Elite 8. They also eliminated a familiar foe for the second time in as many years.
After a close game early, the No. 1 overall seed Huskies (34-3) dominated the No. 5 seed San Diego State (26-11) in the second half on Thursday night en route to an 82-52 victory at the TD Garden in Boston.
UConn also defeated SDSU in the 2023 National Championship game, 76-59.
On this night, UConn was led by fifth-year First-Team All-Big East guard Cam Spencer and his 18 points. AP First-Team All-American guard Tristen Newton scored 17 points with seven rebounds and four assists. Like Spencer, Newton also connected from deep multiple times in the game.
SDSU was carried by senior forward Jaedon Ledee, who scored 18 points with eight rebounds.
Both teams couldn’t miss to start, as they exchanged baskets for the first five minutes. UConn sophomore forward Alex Karaban came out firing, hitting two early three pointers, including one from beyond NBA range.
Connecticut began to create separation, opening an 11-point lead before both teams stepped up their defense. For the remainder of the first half, baskets would be hard to come by.
SDSU creeped to as close as four points late in the first half before UConn added a small cushion. Leading by six in the final minute, Spencer nailed a clutch three to put UConn ahead by nine at the half. It was three of his team-leading 16 points at the break.
SDSU’s Ledee dominated the first half, scoring 15 points despite foul trouble. He single-handedly kept the Aztecs in the game, scoring from all three levels. His pace slowed down tremendously after halftime, as he went ice cold from the field.
In the opening minutes of the second half, UConn freshman guard Steph Castle, the Big East Freshman of the Year, stepped up, scoring repeatedly at the rim. Castle ended the game with 16 points.
Hassan Diarra, UConn’s senior guard, also provided a spark off the bench, driving to the hoop and hitting from outside. He scored 10 points.
By the nine-minute mark in the second half, UConn had doubled its halftime lead, going up by 18. The Huskies would lead by as many as 32.
Karaban scored eight points, while sophomore center Donovan Clingan, who scorched Northwestern on Sunday, scored eight points with just one block, coming off of a game with eight blocks.
UConn created separation in this game by outrebounding SDSU 50 to 29, including 21 offensive rebounds for the Huskies, who will play the winner of Iowa State vs. Illinois on Saturday.
UConn tied its program record for most wins in a season with 34. The 1998-1999 national champion Huskies went 34-2.
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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